Sally James (20 page)

'I could bleed to death for all you care!' Sir Frederick snapped, ineffectually mopping at the blood with his already soaked handkerchief.

'Correct, but I do not wish it to happen on my property! Ninian, bind him up. Use his own cravat.'

'I'll do it,' Isabella said. 'Ninian's arm is still painful.'

She rose and attended to her late captor, while Lord Fordington looked on sardonically.

'The bullet is lodged,' Sir Frederick protested.

'You must find a surgeon to remove it,' was Lord Fordington's unfeeling reply, then, when Isabella had finished and helped Sir Frederick to shrug on his ruined coat, he spoke again, abruptly.

'I'll give you until midday to take your unfortunate family out of England. It is only pity for them makes me give you this chance. All of us here will testify against you if you are not gone by then, do you understand? I believe your carriage and coachmen are at the stables. If you wish to leave without causing an unpleasant commotion you had best move swiftly.'

'But, Justin, we need him to prove my innocence!' Ninian protested.

'His flight will prove that adequately, and we do not want any scandal just now.'

Sir Frederick had already started towards the path and they watched him go. The sobs of the girls had lessened somewhat and Ninian turned to attempt to comfort them. His brother looked on coldly.

'I'm not sure who is to blame most,' he said at last. 'Lydia is foolish, but possibly had some provocation. I did not expect you, Georgiana, to abet her in such idiocy though! Ninian, take them in through the kitchens and find your mother. She'll help repair the damage to their faces and gowns. Hurry, Lydia is beginning to shiver. Georgiana, you've been through far less than Lydia, so go and help her, and pray make some effort to control your own emotions.'

Subdued by his stern words and cold looks the three of them departed. When Isabella moved to accompany them he grasped her arm and held her back.

'They will do. You have been through far more than any of them, and should not be attending to their comfort!'

'It was not really Georgiana's fault,' Isabella said quickly, dismayed at his ruthless condemnation of her. 'She is young and sometimes thoughtless, and was after all thinking of her friend's happiness.'

'I'll grant she could not have known that fiend was out here, but she might have been more attentive to Lydia's safety, and it would have been for the girl's greater ultimate happiness if she had stopped this nonsense instead of encouraging it!'

'She knows so little of the world. She probably thought Ninian would turn back to Lydia if they could be brought together in a romantic way.'

'The sooner she discovers the frailties of human nature the better. Of all the nonsensical exploits! And what she intended by playing the ghost I cannot think.'

'It gave you the opportunity to shoot,' Isabella pointed out.

'She could not have known I was there. She or Ninian or you might have been hurt, to no avail. It was only your swift action in pushing his arm away that gave me the chance!'

'I did not know you were there either,' Isabella said with a laugh. 'I am exceedingly thankful, my lord, that you were! But Georgiana is young, I beg you will not permit this to change your feelings towards her,' Isabella pleaded.

'I've always thought her young and heedless,' was the discouraging reply. 'You make a good advocate, though. Will you not be thankful to have her taken off your hands?'

'When she marries? Indeed I will! She needs a husband, one who will be firm with her, but kind.'

'I pity the poor devil intensely!'

'You do what?' Isabella gasped, astonished. 'Oh, but surely you will not permit tonight's follies to spoil everything?'

'Indeed not! They have finally shown me I am a fool to delay any longer.'

'Then you will still offer for her? Oh dear, I should not have said that! Pray disregard it, my lord. Tonight's happenings have overset my wits.'

'They have indeed if you can have imagined I ever intended to ask that romp to be my wife.'

Isabella looked up at him in dismay.

'Surely!' she protested. 'Why did you come so frequently to Woodings, why did you leave London early, if you were not attracted to her?'

'I was never attracted to Georgiana, goose! Oh, she is lovely, yes, enough to take a man's breath away, but of what use is beauty that will fade if there is nought else behind it? I want a companion, not merely an ornament, as my wife. Are you bound to her until her come-out?' he asked, and Isabella blinked, confused at the sudden change of subject.

'Her aunt is bringing her out next year,' she said slowly. 'I suppose I shall go to London with her. Why?'

'It will do that chit good not to have you to depend on, and also to take more part in caring for her mother this winter. We could be married within a few weeks. Oh, Isabella,' he said, laughing at her startled expression. 'Were you so bemused by that wretched child and her affectations you did not realise it was
you I
came to see? You are not only beautiful, you have character, and charm, sense and courage, everything I want in a wife. I knew it when I first set eyes on you, so unruffled at the turmoil Georgiana and her father were creating, and I have grown to love you very dearly since. Is there hope for me, my love?'

He drew her towards him and Isabella, thinking she was dreaming, felt his arms enfold her and hold her close. She gazed up at him in wonder, and he bent to kiss her cheek, then her lips, gently at first and then with a mounting passion that at last convinced her this incredible thing was real. She trembled slightly, and her arms stole round his neck as he crushed her tightly to him.

'Well, my dearest love, will you marry me soon?' he asked when he paused for breath, his fingers tracing the lines of her cheek and jaw.

'Justin! I – I cannot believe it! When for so long I have been expecting you to offer for Georgiana. How
can
you prefer me? She's lovely, and young. I'm much older and have no fortune!'

'You are as lovely, even more so to me. And what has age to do with it, apart from the fact you are nearer to me in age. And since I have sufficient fortune for both of us, I shall not feel the lack. That wretched girl will find some besotted man next year, I've no doubt. I pity him indeed, but I have no desire to talk about him or her. Will you marry me?'

'I never dreamed it could be possible! Oh yes, my dear. But I should stay with Georgiana-'

'She has her parents and her brother and her aunt. I am at the mercy of my wicked stepmama! Surely I need rescuing more than your former charge?' he said, laughing and seeking to draw her back into his arms.

'What will Lady Fordington say?'

'If your gown were not torn and covered with grass stains, which would undoubtedly give an entirely erroneous impression, my love, I would take you straight in and announce it to the assembled guests now! However, possibly you would prefer to comb your hair and repair what ravages you can? I can smuggled you up a back staircase to Lady Sharman's room.'

Isabella chuckled. 'Indeed I would! But Lady Fordington–'

'Soon to be the dowager Lady Fordington,' he corrected, grinning. 'That is one thing she will not forgive us, even if she accepts Ninian will not now be likely to inherit from me. She can be mightily unpleasant. Will you bear with her?'

'Indeed, it must be a difficult position with a stepson almost her own age. I feel for her,' Isabella replied.

'Not to the extent of inviting her to live with us.
You
must take charge, and do as you want. I have a scheme to win her support. I'll pay Ninian's debts and pack him off to London as soon as we are married, and she will have to go too and therefore leave us in peace. Where would you like to go for a wedding journey? Italy? If we marry soon we could be there before the winter, indeed, we could spend the winter there. Should you like that?'

Isabella gasped. 'Why, it would be wonderful. But it is so soon!'

'Not soon enough for me. I would prefer to carry you off now. Isabella, my sweetest darling, I thought I would never find the girl I could love, and yet I seem to have been waiting an inordinately long time since I did find you before managing to declare myself! I refuse to wait any longer. We will have a betrothal party for our particular friends next week, when you are more presentable. Then the wedding in a month. Does that suit you? Can you buy all you need for a winter in Italy by then? But of course you can. And what you do not buy we will obtain in Paris on our way.'

And without waiting for her answer he kissed her again, both of them entirely oblivious of the guests who, puzzled at the inexplicable absence of the host from the festivities, were beginning to take their leave of Lady Fordington, her polite smile hiding her fury with her stepson for deserting her in such a manner.

Eventually brought to a sense of their responsibilities by the crunching of many wheels on the gravel of the drive, the lovers left the ruins, still bathed in the gentle moonlight, and wandered slowly and with many lengthy pauses back to the house where Isabella knew, with a certainty nothing could destroy, that she would find true happiness with the man at her side.

Copyright © 1981 by Marina Oliver

Originally published by Hale [UK]  (ISBN 0709194994)

Electronically published in 2010 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads

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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.